Stocking-cutter



- 2 Sh eats-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

E. A. HIRNBR. STOGKING CUTTER.

No. 594,400. Patented Nov=` 30, 1897.

(No Model.) E A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

STOGKING GUTTER.

No. 594,400. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

llnrrEn STATES PATENT @Erica EMIL A. HIRNER, OE ALLENTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCKlNG-CUTTER.

SPECIFCATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,400, dated November30, 1897.

Application filed January 25, 1897. Serial No. 620,627. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL A. HIRNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Allentovfn, in the county of Lehigh, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking- Cutters,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain neuT and useful devices designed,primarily, for use in severing the yarn of a double-soled stocking. Itmay betermed a stretcher and cutter. It embodies a tubular portion overwhich the stocking is stretched, the outer end of said tubular portionhaving fingers, one of which is of spring material and serving to keepthe stocking under proper tension While being operated upon by thecutting devices. Vithin this tubular portion is a guide for receivingand holding the interior transverse strands of the yarn and hold themunder tension Twhile they are being operated upon at their junction withthe stocking by the cutters.

Simple means are provided for actuating the cutters, which are in theshape of shears, and the device as a Whole constitutes a simple, cheap,and compact mechanism for accomplishing the desired end.

A further object of the invention is to assemble the parts so as ltoprovide for ready access to the operating parts in case of necessity forrepairs thereof and permitting of ready removal of the cutters as theybecome dull and require sharpening.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear inthe following description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form part of thisspecification, and in which* Eigure l is a perspective View of myimproved device in operative position. Eig. 2 is a substantially centralvertical longitudinal section through the same with a portion brokenaway. Eig. 3 is a side elevation with the outer tubular portion removed.Eig. Il is an end view of Eig. 3. Figs. and 5 are details of thematerial to be cut; and Eig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on the line G6 of Eig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow, With the stocking inposition upon the tubular portion, the transverse strands being shown asin their stretched condition. Eig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 77 of Eig. l.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews. i

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates thecylindrical body portion of the device, mounted upon a suitable base orsupport B, which is designed to be secured in position upon a bench,table, or other support C in any suitable manner. In this instance thebracket or casting B is shown as having a ring-like portion l?, whichembraces the end of the part A, being held against a shoulder a thereofby means of the nut D, engaging exterior thread cl upon the extreme endof the part A, as indicated best in Fig. 2.

c is a small opening extending through the Lipper part of this ringportion'and coincidently through the part A to provide means forlubricating the rotary spindle which is mounted to revolve freely Withinthe bore of the part A.

c/ is a small oil-feed at the other end of the part A, all as clearlyindicated in Fig. 2.

The outer end of the part A is provided With a reduced portion, as seenat A, forming a shoulder a, over which reduced portion and against saidshoulder the removable tubular portion soon to be described fits, asclearly indicated in Eig. 2.

E is the shaft or spindle mounted to revolve Within the body portion A.It is adapted to be operated in any suitable manner. In this instance itis shown as extended at one end and has fast thereupon the fixed portionF of a clutch, while E represents the movable portion of said clutch,carrying the belt-pulley G, adapted to be connected by belt with anysuitable source of power. (Not shown.)

G' is a spring around the hubs of the two portion-s of the clutch andbearing at one end against a shoulder, collar, or iiange g upon thefixed part of the clutch, as clearly indicated in Eig. 2. This movableportion of the clutch may be actuated so as to be moved IOC lengthwiseof its shaft in any suitable manner, in this instance. a lever g' beingshown,

which bears against the inner end of the hub of said movable portion andis loosely sleeved upon the shaft E, one end being turned, as indicated,so as to form an operating means, and the body portion ofsaid lever orarm carrying the diametrically oppositely disposed pins or projectionsg2, which are adapted to engage the end of the body portion A or a plateA2 upon the end of said body portion, and when engaged in thedepressions a2 of said plate the spring will force the movable portionof the clutch toward the body portion A and thus disconnect the clutch,so that motion will not be imparted to the shaft; but when the lever ismoved so as to force the movable portion of the clutch toward the iXedpart the pins will ride upon the inclined walls of the depressions in awell-known manner and engage upon the outer face of the plate, asindicated in Fig. 2, and thus hold the two parts of the clutch inoperative contact, so that when motion is imparted to the pulley G theshaft E will be revolved. This is, however, but one of the well-knownforms of clutch mechanism that may be employed in connection with mydevice.

On the outer end of the shaft or spindle E is the cam H, mounted to movewith said shaft or spindle in its revolutions and secured to the same inanysuitable manneras, for instance, by the screw h-permitting of itsready removal or adjustment when necessary or desired.

I I are levers pivotally mounted, as at t' t", respectively, upon theouter end of the body portion A, or preferably, as indicated in Figs. 2,3, and 4, upon a plate I2 upon the end of said body portion and throughwhich the outer end of the shaft or spindle F. projects, as seen best inFig. 2. These levers have their inner ends arranged one above and theother below the cam H, as seen most clearly in Fig. 4t, and adapted tobe simultaneously moved away from eachother by the movement of said cam,as will be readily understood, a-nd adapted to be held normally towardeach other and brought back to such normal position, after being actedupon by the cam, by means ot' a spring J, the ends of which are securedto the endsof the levers in any suitable manner, as by being coiled uponor secured to the screws or other projections j, extending from the endsof the levers, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4f. rlhe outer ends of theselevers are designed to contact with and operate the movable portions ofthe cutters. In this inst-ance they are shown as in the form of scissorsor shears.

K is the fixed blade upon one side, and L the lixed blade upon the otherside, of the head or bodyportion, it being understood that the fixedportions of the cutters or shears are alternately arranged upon oppositesidesthat is, upon one side the fixed portion is the uppermost, whileupon the other side it is the lowermost.

K and L are the movable blades or portions of the cutters. They are,likewise, alternately arranged, the one upon one side being uppermost,while that upon the other side is the lowermost. The movable portions orblades of the cutters are engaged and moved by the outer ends of thelevers l l', as seen best in Fig. a. As the shaft or spindle E isrevolved, the cam moving therewith separates the inner ends of thelevers, moving their outer ends simultaneously in opposite directionsand by engagement with the movable portions ot the scissors or cutters,operates them simultaneously upon opposite sides of the head, so as tosever the yarn.

Suitable stops 7c may be provided upon the head or the plate l2, asindicated in Fig. 3, to aid the fixed portion ot the cutter in resistingstrain and pressure thereon.

The xed portion of the scissors may be secured in any suitable manner toopposite lsides of the reduced portion A' of the head or body portion,which is attened, as seen at a4 in Figs. 3 and et, for this purpose, themovable portions or blades of the cutters being pivotally mounted, as atl, and a spring Z' isprovided, acting upon the movable blade to the rearof its pivot to normally force the same open when not acted upon by thelevers. This spring', as seen in Fig. 3, is located in a Arecess Z2 inthe attened portion of the reduced portion A of the head.

M is a tubular extension, of any required length, adapted t0 bedetachably secured upon the outer end of the head or body portion, itbeing sleeved upon the reduced portion A thereof, with its inner endabutting against the shoulder d', as seen in Fig. 2, where it is held byscrews or analogous means m, permitting of its ready removal whennecessary. This tubular extension is provided upon opposite sides withthe longitudinal slits M', extending for the great-er portion of itslength, as seen best in Fig. l, and the entrance to these slits at theouter end is beveled, as seen at m-that is, the side walls thereofdiverge from the outer end of Athe slit outward, so as to guide thetransverse strands of the yarn of the article to be cut into said slits.Secured to the outer end of this tubular extension, upon the inn er wallof the lower face thereof, is the curved arm N, the free end of which isso .constructed as not to present a square shoulder to impede theapplication of the stocking or other article to the extension, while tothe under side ot the upper face ot the extension is secured a springarmN, the free end ot which is formed into a coil n or otherwise formed soas to avoid the presentation of a sharp edge or shoulder, so as not toimpede the entrance of the arms into the stocking. The upper side ofthis extension M is provided with an opening m2 adjacent to the outerend ofthe head, as seen IOO IIO

in Figs. l, 2, and 6, while O is a spring-arm secured centrally to theinner under face of the tubular extension at the front end, as seen ato, in this instance being secured by the same means that retains the armN in position. This spring-arm O extends upward and rearward in aninclined direction, and its rear upper end terminates opposite theopening m2 in the upper face of the extension, as seen in Figs. l and 2.Near said upper end it has secured thereto, as upon a pin or rivet p,the arm P, which is folded upon itself to form the loop P at its upperend, which is bent slightly downward and to the rear, as indicated inFigs. l and 2, and its free end extended back along the upper face ofthe arm O and at its end bent slightly upward, as at p, so as to form aV-shaped or tapered entrance, as indicated best in Fig. 2, into whichentrance the transverse strands of the yarn are to be entered and to bereceived between the upper face of the arm O and the under face of thisspring-arm P, as indicated in Fig. 6.

Secured to the front end of the head or body portion A or to the platel2 thereon are the rods Q, which extend forward substantially in linewith the slits M of the tubular extension M, as indicated, and theirouter or free ends are turned slightly upward, as at q, so that as thestocking or other article is placed in position the transverse strandsof the yarn will be engaged near their junction with the stochin gbeneath these rods or arms, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, so as to put thesame under tension, whereby they are more readily cut by the cutters orscissors.

lith the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forththe operation will be readily understood, and, brieflystated, is asfollows: Upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6 the letter X designates thestocking or other article to be operated upon. It will be seen that itis provided with a doublesole, as at 5c, and the transverse strands 0c',connecting the opposite sides of the double portion, are those to beoperated upon to be severed by the cutters hereinbefore described. Thestocking is introduced over the arms N N', the spring of the latterserving to keep the stocking under tension, and as the stocking is drawnover the same and over the tubular extension M toward the inner endthereof the transverse strands are engaged in the slits M M of thistubular extension, into which they are guided by the inclined entrancesthereof, and as the stocking is further drawn onto the extension thesaid transverse strands are received into the spring-clamp formed by thearms O and P at the center and beneath the tension-rods Q Q at thesides, as indicated in Fig. G, so as to be held under proper vtension.Rotary motion is imparted to the spindle or shaft E, and this havingbeen done the stocking is pulled onto the head over the extension, andthe rotary motion of the shaft or spindle E actuat'es the cutters orscissors through the medium of the cam and lever above described, andthe transverse strands are severed at their junction with the bodyportion of the stocking, the severed strands being held between the armsO and P, and as the stocking is advanced the severed strands are forcedinto the loop P of the arm P, from which they can be readily removedtransversely of the length of the extension through the opening m2 inthe upper face thereof. The shafts being revolved at a rapid rate, thestrands are quickly cut, and when one stocking has been thus treated itis removed and another placed in its proper position and the operationrepeated.

Instead of passing the tubular fabric over the extension or form, ashereinbefore described, so that the strand to be severed is within thetube, the tube may be reversed or turned inside out, so that theinterior transverse strand will be exposed, as shown in Fig. 5a. Theoperation of cutting this strand is the same as that hereinbeforedescribed, with the exception that the tubular fabric is passed onlyunder the lower face of the extension or form. 'lhe strand su', however,engages the tension devices and cutters in the same manner as when thetubular fabric is passed over both faces of the form or extension.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. Forexample, the transverse strands X' may be stretched from one folded edgeto another of the tubular fabric while the tube is turned inside out,with the single-ply half folded against the double-ply half of saidtube. This form of folding is illustrated clearly in Fig. 5a. It will beseen at a glance that the tube thus doubled could be passed along theunder or upper side of a head or any strandseparating devices ofsuitable form, while the strands to be severed would be carried in theslots lll', or an equivalent strand-separating device, and then guidedto any suitable strandsevering mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A device comprising a form for stretching a tubular, knitted fabricand interior cutters carried by the form for severing interiortransverse strands thereof, substantially as specified.

2. A device comprising a form for holding a tubular-fabric havinginterior transverse strands, a guide for placing the transverse strandsunder tension and separating said strands from the body of the fabricwhereby the stra-nds are adapted to be operated upon, and a cuttingmechanism for severing said strands, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a head, of means for stretching a tubular body,and means car- IOO ried by the head and projected into said stretchingmeans for severing` transverse, interior strands of such body,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a head, of means for stretching a tubular body,means carried by the head for severing transverse strands of such body,and yielding means for placing said strands under tension, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination with a head, of means for stretching` a tubular body,means carried by the head for severing transverse strands of such body,and means near the center of the tube or head f or placing said strandsunder tension, substantially as described.

G. rIhe combination with a head, of means for stretching a tubular body,means carried by the head for severing transverse strands of such body,and means near the sides of the tube or head for placing said strandsunder tension; substantially as described.

7. The combination With a head, of means for stretching a tubular body,means carried by the head for severing transverse strands of such body,and means near the center of the tube or `head and near the sidesthereof for placing said strands under tension; substantially asdescribed.

S. The combination with a head, of a slitted extension or form forstretching a tubular body, means carried by the head for severingtransverse strands of such body, means near the center of the tube orhead and near the sides thereof for placing said strands under tension,substantially as described.

9. The combination with a head and its extension or form havingoppositely-disposed, longitudinal slits, means for placing under tensionthe transverse interior strands of the tubular, knitted body, and meansfor severing said strands While under tension, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination with a head and its extension or form havingoppositely-disposed, longitudinal slits, of means for placing undertension the transverse strands of a tubular, knitted body, means forsevering said strands while under tension, and guiding-arms for saidtubular body at the outer end of said extension, substantially asdescribed.

11. The combination with a head and its extension orform havingoppositely-disposed, longitudinal slits, of yielding means for placingunder tension the transverse strands of a tubular knitted body, meansfor severing said strands While under tension, and rods for engaging thestrands in proximity to the points Where the cutters operate thereupon,substantially as` described.

12. The combination with a head and a revoluble shaft, of an extensionor form on said head havin glongitudinal slits,inte riorlyarrangedcutters carried by the form, and the cam carried by said shaft andconstructed and arranged to simultaneously actuate said cutters,substantially as described.

13. The combination With a head and a revoluble shaft, of an extensionor form on said head having longitudinal slits,interiorly arrangedcutters carried by the form, a cam carried by said shaft and constructedand arranged to simultaneously actuate said cutters, and means forreceiving and holding under tension the transverse strands of thearticle operated upon, substantially as de scribed.

la. The combination With a body portion and its tubular extension havinglongitudinal slits, of arms at its outer end, a springarm for holdingunder tension the strands to be severed, and cutters for severing saidstrands; substantially as described.

15. The combination with a body portion and its tubular extension havinglongitudinal slits, of arms at its outer end, a springarm for holdingunder tension the strands to be severed, cutters for severing saidstrands, and rods for holding the strands under tension in proximity tothe cutters; substantially as described.

1G. The combination with a body portion and its tubular extension havingoppositelydisposed, longitudinal slits and an opening upon its upperface in proximity to the end of the body portion, of theoppositely-disposed cutters, means for actuating the same, and aspring-arm carried by the extension and having a loop adjacent to theopening in said extension; substantially as described.

17. The combination with a body portion and its tubular extension havingoppositelydisposed, longitudinal slits and an opening upon its upperface in proximity to the end of the body portion, of oppositely-disposedcutters, means for actuating the same, a spring-arm carried by theextension and having a loop adjacent to the opening in said extension,and arms on the outer end of the extension, one of Which is resilient;substantially as described. Y

1S. The combination with a body portion and its tubular extension havingoppositelydisposed, longitudinal slits and an opening upon its upperface in proximity to the end of the body portion, of oppositely-disposedcutters, means for actuating the same, a spring-arm carried by theextension and having a loop adjacent to the opening in said extension,and rods carried by the outer end of the body portion adjacent to theslits of the extension; substantially as described.

19. Mechanism for severing inner transverse strands of tubular knittedfabric, consisting of a tubular fabric-holding device, means forseparating the inner transverse strands from the body of the fabric, andmeans for severing the said separated strands, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

20. Mechanism for severing transverse IOO IIO

strands of a knitted tubular fabric, consisting of means for insertionbetween the fabric and the strands for separating the said strands fromthe body of the fabric, and means for severing the strands at both endswhen thus separated, substantially as described.

2l. In mechanism for the purpose described, the combination of a formfor holding,` a tubular knitted fabric, strand-separating` means, andsevering devices acting at both ends of the strand, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of Witnesses.

EMIL A. HIRNER. Witnesses:

EDWARD RUHE, REUBEN J. BUTZ, S. A. BUTZ.

